Re: MB with onboard RAID failed -- how not to lose data?
- From: Arno Wagner <me@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 9 Jan 2006 16:30:28 GMT
Previously calculon@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have a pretty simple question, and I'm sure there's an easy answer
> for it, but I can't figure one out on my own.
> How can I save my RAID array when the motherboard that housed the
> onboard raid controller (HPT372) is dead?
> I had an Abit BD7II-RAID motherboard, with the onboard HPT372
> controller. I had flashed the BIOS to use the newest Highpoint BIOS
> (2.351) and was using matching IDE drivers in Windows XP (2.351).
> I had two WD 1600JB 160GB IDE drives, and had them combined into RAID 0
> to make a single 320 GB array. I cannot remember the stripe size and
> cluster size. It was something like 64/64, 64/16, or 16/16.
> It was working swell for several months.
> For some unrelated reason, the motherboard has failed. Not the RAID
> itself -- but everything. For a while it was working fine, then it used
> to freeze up randomly, then it started freezing up after about an hour
> of being on. I tried clearing the CMOS, and that made it worse -- now
> it barely POSTs and when I enter the BIOS setup screen it often freezes
> in the menus before I can make changes and exit. Before it got really
> bad I ran memtest for days on end and my memory is fine. I'm positive
> it's the motherboard.
> However the couple of times that it does boot, it manages to boot into
> Windows, or freezes while booting, indicating to me that the RAID array
> is still intact (not corrupted).
> Unfortunately I can't buy the same model motherboard (discontinued) or
> get it repaired (out of warranty). So I'm wondering is there any way to
> get the computer and the array back up? I thought about buying another
> MB with onboard RAID, perhaps a different controller, but even if I
> could find one that supported IDE raid (not SATA, the drives aren't
> SATA) I don't think they would know about the stripe size and array
> parameters, would they?
That is exactly the problem with hardware RAID: You need to have a
spare controller for your case.
> Or is that data stored on the drives themselves? If I managed to find a
> replacement BD7II-RAID, would it detect the array straight off, or does
> the array have to be wiped and re-created?
It is usually stored on the disks in a controller specific format.
You should be able to get the data back with the same or a compatible
(ask the controller manufacturer) controller.
> I'm sensing that it may be nearly impossible to fix the situation, so
> are there any software tools out there that will recover RAID data
> (that isn't corrupted) if I hook the two drives up in USB enclosures?
> (I have a USB2 enclosure, and a Firewire enclosure). Would these tools
> be able to guess stripe and cluster size and recover my data?
There is RAID recovery software, yes. One is here:
http://www.runtime.org/raid.htm
They have a 30 day free trial. Don't know with what or if any
limitations. $99 afterwards (reasonable if it works IMO.)
Might not work with USB, but should work with the drives hooked up
to normal IDE.
Arno
.
- References:
- MB with onboard RAID failed -- how not to lose data?
- From: calculon
- MB with onboard RAID failed -- how not to lose data?
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